Bus Driver Takes Cane From Blind Boy, Replaces It With Pool Noodle

A Kansas City school bus driver took away an 8-year-old blind boy's cane this week and replaced it with a pool noodle, outraging the child's parents and many in the community.

Dakota Nafzinger, who was born without eyes, lost the use of his cane after reportedly hitting another student with it. He was given a pool noodle to use in order to get around for the next two weeks, his mother, Rachel Nafzinger, told Fox 4kc.com. The cane is property of the school district.

"Why would you do that? Why would you take the one thing that he’s supposed to use all the time? That’s his eyes," his mother told the station.

The North Kansas City school district ultimately apologized for taking the cane away and returned it to the boy after two days.

In a statement quoted by Fox 4, the district said the situation had been reviewed and, "The District has apologized to the family and is working to rectify the situation."

Dakota Nafzinger’s story drew national media attention, and Rachel Nafzinger said numerous people had called and offered to buy her son a cane so he didn’t have to use school property.

"I’m so grateful, grateful to Fox 4, grateful to Facebook and social media," she said. "It’s spread like wildfire, and it’s all for my son, and so he got what he wanted and hopefully more, so thank you . . . thank you to everybody."

Still, the online community remained horrified by the school district’s actions.

This is just so cruel & perverse-Kansas City school punishes blind boy by replacing cane with pool noodle http://t.co/4Q6zrzdeqL